Services We Provide

Services we provide

 

Superior Air Med 1 fully licenced by the Illinois Department of Public Health under the Special EMS Vehicle statues (SEMSV) for both accident scene response and interfacility transport for critically ill patients.    

                                                   

INTERFACILITY FLIGHTS

Our experienced flight medical crew is able to continue therapies that are started at sending facilities.  We also have a very extensive Standard Operating Procedures manual to assist with every likely patient need.   Here is a partial listing of the types of patients that may benefit from a decreased transport time between hospitals.  

 

                                                                       

 TRAUMA

• Severe head injuries
  Potential emergent surgical intervention
  Craniotomy  or Ventriculostomy
• Multisystem trauma with potential hemodynamic deterioration Examples of this would include:
  Unstable vital signs
  Evidence of ongoing severe hemorrhage
  Major liver injury
  Major injury of the abdomen or retroperitoneum
• Chest
  Potential or suspected major vascular hemorrhage
  Suspected Cardiac injury
  Suspected or potential airway disruption
• Pelvis Fracture with ongoing severe hemorrhage
  
  
• Major extremity injuries
  Open fracture
• Ischemic extremity

 

 CARDIAC

• Cardiogenic shock
• Acute Myocardial Infarction STEMI or Non- STEMI
• Ongoing ischemic symptoms despite maximal medical therapy
• Life threatening arrhythmia
• Unstable acute VSD
• cardiac tamponade
• Suspected aortic dissection
• Need for other emergent interventions not available at referring institution

 

 CRITICAL CARE PATIENTS

• Leaking / ruptured aortic aneurysm
• Acute CVA with potential need for thrombolytic therapy not available at referring facility
• Gastrointestinal hemorrhage not controlled at referring institution - Severe overdose requiring hemodialysis
• Severe hypothermia requiring cardiac bypass
• Decompression illness or carbon monoxide poisoning with coma or focal neurologic deficit requiring hyperbaric oxygen
• Transfer of time-sensitive transplant organ
• Intracranial hemorrhage requiring emergent surgical intervention

 

ACCIDENT SCENCE FLIGHTS

When time is critical, it is important to make the right choice.   If your fire department or other EMS agency requires a patient to be rapidly transported to trauma center, Air Med 1 provides expert care for your time sensitive patient.  

Here is a listing of reasons to call for accident scene response.  This is not an exclusive list, however.   There are many unforeseen situations where helicopter transport makes the difference for your patient.

 

 

            Head injured patients with one of the

            following:

           Glasgow Coma Scale less than 12 or deteriorating

           Focal neurologic findings

 

          Penetrating injury or open fracture

            Patients with the following chest injuries:

            Possible tension pneumothorax

            Major chest wall injury

            Potential cardiac injury

            Penetrating chest wound

           

           Patients with unstable vital signs including:

            hypotension, tachypnea, severe

            respiratory failure

           

          Burn patients with potential airway

            involvement

           

            Patients with spine injuries with

            neurologic involvement and potential

            airway/breathing compromise

           

 

            Exceptions (patients who may require

            transport but do not meet the above

            indications):

            • Long distance transports of critical patients

            (more than 2 hours by ground)

            • Situations where resources at the sending

            facility are severely limited:

            • Mass casualty situations

            • Lack of availability of ground transport

            • Lack of availability of critical care personnel

            to accompany patient Weather conditions

            that ground transport dangerous (e.g. icy

            roads but clear skies)